MARVIN ARTHUR ROWE

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Marvin Arthur Rowe of Rainy River, Ont., formerly of Thunder Bay, Ont., on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012 at La Verendrye General Hospital in Fort Frances, Ont. with his family by his side.
Marvin was born Dec. 27, 1927 in Silver Park, Sask. to Walter and Bertha Rowe.
The family moved to Port Arthur, Ont. in 1943 and Marvin held various jobs, including working in bush camps. Marvin met his first wife, Laila Aalto, at the Hoito in 1949 and they were married in 1950.
Together they started to raise three children until Laila’s untimely death in 1953 while giving birth to their son, Lyle, while she was in an iron lung due to polio.
In 1958, Marvin met and married the former Winona (Nonie) Waller, who had three children of her own. Together they had three more children, and in 2009 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
They lived on Algonquin Avenue before moving to the farm out in Finmark until the kids started high school. In 1965, they moved from the country to Van Horne Street and resided there until Marvin’s retirement from Abitibi in 1987.
Between 1965 and 1972, 24 foster children also had grown up at the Van Horne Street home.
Pulling up stakes in 1987, they sold the house and travelled south to Texas in the winter months until 2008 while summers were spent in Fort Frances and finally in Rainy River.
Marvin and Nonie started square dancing and continued for 35 years. Square dance festivals took them from one end of the country to the other, as well as the United States. One memorable occasion had them dancing on Parliament Hill.
Outdoor activities also were a great part of their lives; camping and fishing at many of the lakes in Northwestern Ontario in the summer and snowmobiling with the Sno-Surfers club in the winter. One memorable trip was a bus tour to the Maritimes in 2008 with Helen and Bill Kitching.
Gardening was one of Marvin’s passions. Whether it was flowers or a vegetable garden, he always had a green thumb. Marvin also loved to make wind chimes and weather vanes out of practically anything. He never let anything go to waste.
Marvin is survived by daughters, Lindy Rowe (Stu Duncan) of Arden, Ont. and Wendy Camilleri (Pat) of St. Catharines, Ont.; son-in-law, Lance Granberg of Maple Ridge, B.C.; son, Lyle (Heather) of Thunder Bay, Ont.; daughters, Gail Waller of Waterloo, Ont., Carol Wright (Dan) of Wakaw, Sask., and Leslie Macnair (Brian Munro) of Campbell River, B.C.; son, Doug (Carol) of Saskatoon, Sask.; and daughter Karen Newman (Terry) of Fort Frances, Ont.
Also surviving are his grandchildren, David Wright, Jeremy Wupori (Yvonne), Lisa Springman (Shane), Adam Hartikainen (Janine), Luke Clifford (Susan), Tania Clifford, Jon Wright (Cheri), Michael Rowe, Douglas Rowe Jr., Timothy Rowe (Heather), Alanna Newman (Robert Sokolewsky), Steven Rowe, Sarah Faragalli (Domenic), Ryan Newman (Stacey), Darryl Rowe, and Justin Newman; and great-grandchildren, Staisha, Chantell, Cory, Christopher, Ashley, Matthew, Dallas, Madison, Kylene, Ashton, Nikolaus, Alexzander, Dominik, Ethan, Hailey, Avan, and Sibley.
He also is survived by his sisters, Carol (Warren) Smith and Gwen (Bill) Prankard; brother, Roy (Marg) Rowe; sister-in-law, Helen Kitching (Billy); as well as nieces and nephews.
Marvin was predeceased by his parents, Walter and Bertha Rowe; brother, Vernon, and sister, Vera Day; first wife, Laila in 1953; daughter, Sandra, in March, 2012, second wife, Nonie, in May, 2012; and grandson, Jesse Camilleri.
Cremation has taken place and a graveside service has been planned for Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at Riverside Cemetery in Thunder Bay, with the interment of both Marvin and Nonie taking place.
Family and friends are invited to come and share stories, and say good-bye to both Marvin and Nonie.
In lieu of flowers, in memoriam donations may be made to Riverside Foundation for Health Care/Palliative Care, 110 Victoria Ave., Fort Frances, Ont., P9A 2B7, the Rainy River Health Centre general fund, or Cancer Care Ontario.
On-line condolences may be made to www.rainyriverfuneralhome.ca.